Through the combination of sonic elements, visual experiences, and nature, Jack Anderson seeks the highest possible stimulation one can experience as a viewer and listener.
Acting as creative director and designer Anderson has been specialising in 3D and moving images, within an array of mediums. The optimum goal is to challenge the ever-strained relationship between nature and man. Who is controlling whom?
Nature vs mankind
A vital aspect guiding Anderson’s practice is spatial exploration and its nuances. This facet directly relates to his relationship with nature and the outdoors. Growing up in an environment with constant access to mountains, water, and forests, and then moving to the concrete wilderness of New York City delineated his awareness of the contrasting dynamics between humans and nature. Anderson’s navigation and inspection of areas shaped by different impacts of mankind created the dynamic in which he develops his work: ‘[I constantly try to portray] the ways in which nature always remains the most powerful source of energy and inspiration, despite society's attempts to control it.’
The synergy between natural environments and human practices eventually expanded into music and rave culture. Attending and organising renegade parties in the woods as a teenager became a source of inspiration in the practice of merging nature-inspired works, with audio-visual experiences. ‘These audio-visual experiences are incredibly powerful and have the ability to separate the mind from the body’, he states.
"Lighting changed, textures obscured and the world became more and more abstract"
Rearranging nature’s optics
Anderson’s creative process is driven by the endless possibilities of digital art and technology. Despite being a digital artist with technology being his tool, the driving force behind his practice comes from more organic sources such as nature, as well as transportation, and architecture. The intersection of art, technology, photography, and videography weaves the possibility of pulling viewers into his world vision. ‘I take a lot of photos of the ground and use Cinema 4D with Octane to abstract these textures.’
One intriguing aspect when engaging with Anderson’s work is being faced with abstract visuals while simultaneously being familiar with the natural elements explored within it, such as wood and other earthy materials. Mostly everything being developed, experiments with the theme of extreme contrast, while still creating a cohesive world.
Often, visual elements of a mundane perceived reality are scattered with the overlapping of distorted or ambiguous elements. Blissful moving images of natural ambiences are mutated into dream-like atmospheric visuals with the use of lighting and moving patterns. His work is of a cryptic nature, as one single glance does not capture the entirety of a piece. A good example of this are Anderson’s live AV shows.
Simply, an immediate image of an earthly ground can be disrupted by points of light which resemble an illuminated sky-like layer. The interweaving of digital lines creates a shape which echoes a web or a skeleton of a yet not known living creature. It takes an attentive and curious gaze to fully capture the details and motifs clouded within the presented natural elements.
Unravelling new environments, sensations and stimuli
When working on a project, Anderson does not work within a pre-established final vision. He often takes off the process with a large overarching matter in hand, and then starts building within that. The realm of spatial constructions plays a significant role in his creative practice. He often begins with creating textures for the floor or ground in a 3D environment, eventually focusing on populating it with assets that either suit or contrast it. When a better understanding of this environment is attained, Anderson begins to play around with textures and lighting. With such an intricate and sinuous practice, viewers are left with a surreal, yet oddly familiar sensation after interacting with his work.
Anderson’s installation at the main stage of Draaimolen Festival last September unriddled all these dimensions of his work. For that project in particular he aimed at building an environment where he could zoom in and out of for different moments of the day's programming in parallel with the energy’s dynamics: ‘Lighting changed, textures obscured and the world became more and more abstract.’ This allowed for a symbiotic-like dynamic between the dance floor crowd and the installation, adding to the intersection of stimuli there present.
Anderson is constantly unravelling new environments, sensations and stimuli. With his passion for collaborating with artists from different mediums and labels, one can only expect staggering future projects and collaborations to come. To keep up with his work and engage with upcoming ventures, follow Jack Anderson on Instagram or check out his website.
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